SHOTS FIRED: Three Homes Hit In 24 Hours

Des Moines police say it’s lucky no one was hit by a stray bullet. The first incident happened Saturday night in the 1300 block of 13th Place. Hours later, police found bullet holes at two houses nearby. One was in the 1200 block of 13th Street and the other in the 1100 block of 10th Street.

“I get a call that there’s a shooting in the neighborhood,” says Otumbra Madison.

A bullet came close to flying through Madison`s home Saturday, where her 10-year-old daughter was having a sleep-over with four friends.

“Somebody could’ve died,” she says.

While no one inside was hurt, the damage from what happened has left its mark and not just on the house.

“I’m scared to death. We had to stay at a hotel that night ‘cuz we don’t know what this is about,” says Madison.

“I think it was probably just luck that no one was there,” says Des Moines Police Sgt. Jason Halifax.

Less than 24 hours later, two other homes were fired at. Police found a total of five bullets at the three houses. One of the victims told authorities the shooting could have ties to gang activity.

“It could be payback, it could be sending a message, it could be settling a debt, there are a number of reasons it could be happening,” says Halifax.

Police are investigating all of those possibilities. Madison says the bullet hole in her house is a case of mistaken identity.

“Nobody in my house. I have babies, we’re not gang-bangers,” says Madison. “This is something the police need to figure out.”

These cases can be tough to solve especially when not everyone involved is talking to police.

“If we get that cooperation, usually things will go much smoother, much quicker. There is always some reluctance to talk to us and we’re aware of that, but we do what we can,” says Halifax.

The five bullets from the three homes are at the DCI crime lab. As of tonight, police have no suspects.